Rounders Borough Championships Yr 5/6

Event Information

Booking

• This is a Borough Championships level event.
• On the initial booking date, schools may enter either a Borough Championship or a Development Competition within each sport category.
• If an event reaches capacity, schools will be placed on a waiting list and advised accordingly. MSSP will contact schools if places become available in the lead up to the event.

Event Eligibility

• Schools are encouraged to select their strongest squad. School squads should be well prepared and have time to practise with the competition rules before attending this event.
• There is also a Rounders Development Competition event being delivered this year.
• Please consider the most appropriate event for your pupils to attend before registering as you may only be able to take part in one event if entrees exceed capacity.
• Schools cannot select the same pupils for the Development Competition and the Borough Championships.
• In the instance that a Championship team player is also played in a Development Competition team, the team will not be able to progress to a medal winning position.
• If this event exceeds the capacity for school entrees, priority will be given to schools who are not registered for the Development Competition.
• It is our aim to ensure all schools can access at least one of the events.

Team Eligibility

• Age: Year 5/6
• Mixed gender event.
• There is no requirement to have boys in the squad.
• A squad can contain a maximum of 5 boys and minimum 4 girls on the pitch at one time.
• Squad size: Maximum of 15, minimum of 9 players in a squad.
• We encourage schools to rotate their fielding positions throughout the competition and to allow different children to have a go at bowling (bowlers may be changed at any time when the field is not live).
• The named team for each match must remain the same for both batting and fielding.

Kit & Equipment

• All schools must provide their own First Aid kit and first aid qualified member of staff.
• No jewellery, wrist bands/watches or hair adornments may be worn, earrings must be taped or removed, shoe laces securely tied.
• Please provide your own standard rounders bats and softy rounders balls.
• Match balls and posts are provided.
• Players of the same team should wear the same colour tops/bibs.
• It is advised that if eyewear is essential, it should be made from plastic rather than glass.
• No spiked footwear.
• School staff (that feel confident to), may be asked to help with the scoring and umpiring for wide balls and players stumped out from the view point/umpire position behind the 2nd base.

Rules

Positions

• We suggest the following fielding positions:
  • 1 x Bowler
  • 1 x Backstop
  • 1 x 1st Post Fielder
  • 1 x 2nd Post Fielder
  • 1 x 4th Post Fielder
  • 4 x Deep Fielders
• Please complete your team score sheet in advance of each match to help speed up the event. Players must remain in their batting order at all times. Players will be called up to bat.

 Batters

• The aim for each Batter is to strike the ball (forward), bowled by the Bowler, then run as far as they can around the outside of the 4 posts, carrying the bat.
• Batters can use 1 or 2 hands to hold the bat.
• When batting, Batters must keep their feet within the batting square.
• Batters will have one good ball bowled to them (unless last batter on the last good ball of the innings and then the choice of 3 good balls is allowed. Batter can choose to run on any one of these three balls).
• If the Batter hits the ball and it lands in the backward area, they cannot run past 1st Post until the ball has been returned over the line into the forward area.
• If a Batter is caught out or stumped, the Batter will re-join the batting queue for their next turn. The batter will however receive a deduction of ½ rounder.
• Batters waiting at a post must keep contact with the post until the ball has left the Bowler’s hands.
• Don’t forget to touch 4th Post as you pass or you may be stumped out.
• A live Batter’s turn has finished when the Fielding team has returned the ball to the Bowler, ready for the next Batter.
• Batters must wait in the backward area, safely away from 4th post.

No ball if

• Not smooth under-arm
• Ball is above head or below knee.
• Ball bounces on way to you.
• Is wide of the batter or straight at body. Must be bowled on the side that the bat is held by the batter.
• The bowler’s foot is outside the square during the bowling action.
• You do not need to run on a no ball but you can take a no ball and run on it, but once you reach 1st post you cannot return. You score in the normal way. You cannot be caught out or stumped out at 1^stpost on a ‘no ball’.

Scoring

• Each team will start on 10 rounders
• 1 rounder if the ball is hit and 4th post is reached and touched before the next ball is bowled.
• ½ a rounder if ball is hit and 2^ndor 3^rd post reached and touched before next ball is bowled, but if you continue this run and are stumped out before reaching 4th post, the score will be nullified.
• If the ball is hit backward, stay at 1^stpost until ball crosses backward line. Then score as normal.
• If the batter misses the ball, they do not need to wait at 1^stpost for the ball to cross the back line.
• ½ a rounder if 4th post reached without hitting the ball.
• ½ rounder deducted if – Caught out or Stumped out
• On the final ball of the innings:
• No ½ Rounders can be scored for stopping at 2^nd or 3^rd
• The batter (and any remaining batters on the field) can be out by: the ball being grounded in the batting square or the bowler’s square; or stumped out at 4^th
• Penalty ½ rounder for obstruction by a fielder.
• Penalty ½ rounder for 2 consecutive no balls to same batter.
• Penalty ½ rounder will be awarded to the fielding team if any batters obstruct the fielders.

Out when

• Caught out (no bounce first).
• Foot over front/back line of batting square before hitting or missing a good ball (if the player steps out to try and hit a no ball the umpire will not call them out).
• Running inside posts or the fielding square (unless obstructed).
• The post you are running to is stumped.
• You lose contact with post during bowler’s action when s/he has possession in the square. A warning and guidance will be given (for each team) before a player is called out.
• If you overtake a team-mate.
• If a team mate runs up to your post you will have to move on to the next post – only one batter may be at a post.
• You drop bat the bat deliberately. It is dangerous to drop or throw the bat.
• You exit out the front of the batting square – we will encourage children not to do this but will unlikely call them out for this during the early stages of the competition.

Running around the fielding square

(Please carry the bat)

• If you stop at a post you must keep contact with the post, with hand or bat. If you don’t the fielding side can stump the following post.
• You can run on to a post when the ball is back in play, even if it has been previously stumped (you don’t score if the post immediately ahead has been stumped).
• When the bowler has the ball in the bowling square you cannot move on, but if you are between posts you can carry on to the next one.
• You cannot have two batters at a post. The Umpire will ask the first to run on when the second one makes contact with the post.
• At a post you do not have to move on for every ball bowled.
• You can move on as soon as the ball leaves the bowler’s hand, including no balls.
• In the event of simultaneous contact with the post the umpire will favour the batter.

Competition Format

• Each game will be played between 2 teams, with 1 team batting first (innings) and 1 team fielding, then they swap.
• It is anticipated that games will have one innings of 18 good balls dependant on time available and weather conditions.
• Children will no longer be ‘out’ of the game for the remainder of the innings if deemed out when batting. Instead they will be deducted ½ a rounder (if caught or stumped out) and will return to their batting queue (in order) ready for their next bat. Teams will start on a score of 10 rounders to avoid a negative score where possible.
• Likely to be a round robin format at initial groups stage followed by progression to second round of group or knockout fixtures.
• Points awarded are: 3 for a win and 0 for a loss.
• The team with the higher score wins. In the event of a tie the team that takes more ‘outs’ wins.
• Group placing determined by: points accrued, overall rounders scored, least outs conceded, most outs taken, head to head result (if 2 teams), toss of a coin.

Sport Format    

• 9 a side teams (squad size: min 9 – max 15)
• grass rounders pitch
• softie rounders balls

Draw Format

• First stage is round robin groups. Final group standings will be determined from results. Winners of the groups will take top seed of their group, 2nd take 2nd seed of their group, etc.
• All teams will progress to a second stage of competition according to their placement in the first round, with the format to be determined by the number of schools entered. After the first round, if necessary, it may progress into a knock out format.

Awards             

• Winners: GOLD medal, certificates and Trophy.
• Runners Up: SILVER medal and certificates
• 3^rd Place: BRONZE medal and certificates
• REFSPECT winners – Certificate
• Participation certificates will be presented to all participants.

Results

• Results and event report will be available on the news webpage within 24 hours of the event ending.

Progression Pathway

• There is currently no planned pathway from this event.

Staffing and Spectators – IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Due to a range of safeguarding concerns, spectators will not be permitted entry at any MSSP events as of 8th October 2025.
• Primary schools must inform parents in advance when inviting students to take part.
• All staff attending the event must have enhanced DBS clearance and have been fully vetted by their primary school.
• DBS numbers, full name and school photo ID will be required in advance by the host school for events on school sites.
• Upon arrival, all staff members must sign a Code of Conduct form to confirm their intent to support the safeguarding of children at MSSP events.
• Staff must complete a team-sheet ready for registration.
• Staff may be asked to keep score during the games.

MSSP Duty of Care

At Merton School Sport Partnership, the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of every participant is our highest priority. Our Duty of Care framework outlines the measures we take to ensure all events are safe, enjoyable and accessible, covering key areas including safeguarding, health and safety, equality, diversity and inclusion, risk assessments, medical provision, codes of conduct, photography and data protection.

We ask all schools, staff, volunteers and participants to familiarise themselves with these expectations before attending MSSP events.

For full details, please download the MSSP Duty of Care document or visit the relevant section of our website HERE for further guidance, policies and event information.